diff --git a/source/graphics/CinemaManager.cpp b/source/graphics/CinemaManager.cpp
index 4627d646bc..6b12743ffa 100644
--- a/source/graphics/CinemaManager.cpp
+++ b/source/graphics/CinemaManager.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2017 Wildfire Games.
+/* Copyright (C) 2019 Wildfire Games.
  * This file is part of 0 A.D.
  *
  * 0 A.D. is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@
 
 #include "graphics/Camera.h"
 #include "graphics/GameView.h"
-#include "gui/CGUI.h"
-#include "gui/GUIutil.h"
-#include "gui/GUIManager.h"
-#include "gui/IGUIObject.h"
 #include "lib/ogl.h"
 #include "maths/MathUtil.h"
 #include "maths/Quaternion.h"
diff --git a/source/gui/GUIRenderer.cpp b/source/gui/GUIRenderer.cpp
index 3a7902d6a1..682202fa0c 100644
--- a/source/gui/GUIRenderer.cpp
+++ b/source/gui/GUIRenderer.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "graphics/ShaderManager.h"
 #include "graphics/TextureManager.h"
 #include "gui/CGUIColor.h"
+#include "gui/CGUISprite.h"
 #include "gui/GUIutil.h"
 #include "gui/GUIMatrix.h"
 #include "i18n/L10n.h"
diff --git a/source/gui/GUItypes.h b/source/gui/GUItypes.h
index 3ae23be4c2..6c90f3af1e 100644
--- a/source/gui/GUItypes.h
+++ b/source/gui/GUItypes.h
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ TYPE(bool)
 TYPE(i32)
 TYPE(u32)
 TYPE(float)
-TYPE(CStr)
-TYPE(CStrW)
 TYPE(EAlign)
 TYPE(EVAlign)
 TYPE(CPos)
@@ -44,4 +42,6 @@ TYPE(CGUIList)
 TYPE(CGUISeries)
 TYPE(CGUISpriteInstance)
 TYPE(CGUIString)
+TYPE(CStr)
+TYPE(CStrW)
 #endif
diff --git a/source/gui/GUIutil.cpp b/source/gui/GUIutil.cpp
index 975f154816..d77a11c8df 100644
--- a/source/gui/GUIutil.cpp
+++ b/source/gui/GUIutil.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include "GUIutil.h"
 
 #include "gui/GUI.h"
-#include "gui/GUIManager.h"
 #include "ps/CLogger.h"
 
 template<typename T>
@@ -81,35 +80,6 @@ void CGUISetting<T>::ToJSVal(JSContext* cx, JS::MutableHandleValue Value)
 	ScriptInterface::ToJSVal<T>(cx, Value, m_pSetting);
 };
 
-template <typename T>
-PSRETURN GUI<T>::GetSettingPointer(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting, T*& Value)
-{
-	ENSURE(pObject != NULL);
-
-	std::map<CStr, IGUISetting*>::const_iterator it = pObject->m_Settings.find(Setting);
-	if (it == pObject->m_Settings.end())
-	{
-		LOGWARNING("setting %s was not found on object %s",
-			Setting.c_str(),
-			pObject->GetPresentableName().c_str());
-		return PSRETURN_GUI_InvalidSetting;
-	}
-
-	if (it->second == nullptr)
-		return PSRETURN_GUI_InvalidSetting;
-
-	// Get value
-	Value = &(static_cast<CGUISetting<T>* >(it->second)->m_pSetting);
-
-	return PSRETURN_OK;
-}
-
-template <typename T>
-bool GUI<T>::HasSetting(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting)
-{
-	return pObject->m_Settings.count(Setting) != 0;
-}
-
 template <typename T>
 T& GUI<T>::GetSetting(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting)
 {
@@ -173,11 +143,9 @@ PSRETURN GUI<T>::SetSettingWrap(IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting, const
 }
 
 // Instantiate templated functions:
-// These functions avoid copies by working with a pointer and move semantics.
+// These functions avoid copies by working with a reference and move semantics.
 #define TYPE(T) \
-	template bool GUI<T>::HasSetting(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting); \
 	template T& GUI<T>::GetSetting(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting); \
-	template PSRETURN GUI<T>::GetSettingPointer(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting, T*& Value); \
 	template PSRETURN GUI<T>::SetSetting(IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting, T& Value, const bool& SkipMessage); \
 	template class CGUISetting<T>; \
 
diff --git a/source/gui/GUIutil.h b/source/gui/GUIutil.h
index fc13d8d6a9..4032621098 100644
--- a/source/gui/GUIutil.h
+++ b/source/gui/GUIutil.h
@@ -23,15 +23,11 @@
 #ifndef INCLUDED_GUIUTIL
 #define INCLUDED_GUIUTIL
 
-#include "gui/CGUI.h"
-#include "gui/CGUISprite.h"
-#include "gui/GUIbase.h"
 #include "gui/IGUIObject.h"
 
 #include <functional>
 
-class CClientArea;
-class CGUIString;
+class CGUI;
 template<typename T> class GUI;
 
 class IGUISetting
@@ -101,42 +97,26 @@ private:
 	T m_pSetting;
 };
 
-struct SGUIMessage;
-
 /**
  * Includes static functions that needs one template
  * argument.
- *
- * int is only to please functions that doesn't even use T
- * and are only within this class because it's convenient
  */
-template <typename T=int>
+template <typename T>
 class GUI
 {
-	// Private functions further ahead
-	friend class CGUI;
-	friend class IGUIObject;
-
 public:
 	NONCOPYABLE(GUI);
 
-	/**
-	 * Determines whether a setting with the given name is registered.
-	 * This function may be used as a safeguard for GetSetting.
-	 */
-	static bool HasSetting(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting);
-
 	/**
 	 * Get a mutable reference to the setting.
 	 * If no such setting exists, an exception of type std::out_of_range is thrown.
+	 * Use SettingExists if a safeguard is needed.
 	 *
 	 * If the value is modified, there is no GUIM_SETTINGS_UPDATED message sent.
 	 * SetSetting should be used to modify the value if there is a use for the message.
 	 */
 	static T& GetSetting(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting);
 
-	static PSRETURN GetSettingPointer(const IGUIObject* pObject, const CStr& Setting, T*& Value);
-
 	/**
 	 * Sets a value by name using a real datatype as input.
 	 * This variant will use the move-assignment.
diff --git a/source/lobby/scripting/JSInterface_Lobby.cpp b/source/lobby/scripting/JSInterface_Lobby.cpp
index e3a90f2ad9..94a3c27f77 100644
--- a/source/lobby/scripting/JSInterface_Lobby.cpp
+++ b/source/lobby/scripting/JSInterface_Lobby.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2018 Wildfire Games.
+/* Copyright (C) 2019 Wildfire Games.
  * This file is part of 0 A.D.
  *
  * 0 A.D. is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 
 #include "JSInterface_Lobby.h"
 
-#include "gui/GUIManager.h"
 #include "lib/utf8.h"
 #include "lobby/IXmppClient.h"
 #include "network/NetServer.h"
diff --git a/source/network/NetClientTurnManager.cpp b/source/network/NetClientTurnManager.cpp
index 4ce71e7d1e..5c8433b49b 100644
--- a/source/network/NetClientTurnManager.cpp
+++ b/source/network/NetClientTurnManager.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include "NetClientTurnManager.h"
 #include "NetClient.h"
 
-#include "gui/GUIManager.h"
 #include "ps/CLogger.h"
 #include "ps/Pyrogenesis.h"
 #include "ps/Replay.h"
diff --git a/source/ps/GameSetup/GameSetup.cpp b/source/ps/GameSetup/GameSetup.cpp
index 3297093898..b83f839aa2 100644
--- a/source/ps/GameSetup/GameSetup.cpp
+++ b/source/ps/GameSetup/GameSetup.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 #include "graphics/TerrainTextureManager.h"
 #include "gui/GUI.h"
 #include "gui/GUIManager.h"
-#include "gui/scripting/ScriptFunctions.h"
 #include "i18n/L10n.h"
 #include "maths/MathUtil.h"
 #include "network/NetServer.h"
diff --git a/source/ps/SavedGame.cpp b/source/ps/SavedGame.cpp
index 0a8d76e51d..f8524df20d 100644
--- a/source/ps/SavedGame.cpp
+++ b/source/ps/SavedGame.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include "SavedGame.h"
 
 #include "graphics/GameView.h"
-#include "gui/GUIManager.h"
 #include "i18n/L10n.h"
 #include "lib/allocators/shared_ptr.h"
 #include "lib/file/archive/archive_zip.h"
diff --git a/source/ps/VisualReplay.cpp b/source/ps/VisualReplay.cpp
index b3dea66e6d..0c0a05ac45 100644
--- a/source/ps/VisualReplay.cpp
+++ b/source/ps/VisualReplay.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 
 #include "VisualReplay.h"
 #include "graphics/GameView.h"
-#include "gui/GUIManager.h"
 #include "lib/allocators/shared_ptr.h"
 #include "lib/external_libraries/libsdl.h"
 #include "lib/utf8.h"
diff --git a/source/renderer/PostprocManager.cpp b/source/renderer/PostprocManager.cpp
index bb50cab0c9..047d6ab7e5 100644
--- a/source/renderer/PostprocManager.cpp
+++ b/source/renderer/PostprocManager.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include "graphics/GameView.h"
 #include "graphics/LightEnv.h"
 #include "graphics/ShaderManager.h"
-#include "gui/GUIutil.h"
 #include "lib/bits.h"
 #include "lib/ogl.h"
 #include "maths/MathUtil.h"
diff --git a/source/tools/atlas/GameInterface/Handlers/GraphicsSetupHandlers.cpp b/source/tools/atlas/GameInterface/Handlers/GraphicsSetupHandlers.cpp
index 33fb52f6e1..c57ef463ea 100644
--- a/source/tools/atlas/GameInterface/Handlers/GraphicsSetupHandlers.cpp
+++ b/source/tools/atlas/GameInterface/Handlers/GraphicsSetupHandlers.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 
 #include "graphics/GameView.h"
 #include "graphics/ObjectManager.h"
-#include "gui/GUIManager.h"
 #include "lib/external_libraries/libsdl.h"
 #include "lib/ogl.h"
 #include "maths/MathUtil.h"